William Seymour Tyler was born in 1810 in Harford,
Pennsylvania, where he grew up. He went to Hamilton College
before coming to Amherst College for a year and graduating
from Amherst in 1830. Afterwards, he attended Andover
Theological Seminary while intermittently teaching at Amherst
Academy, 1830-1831, and tutoring at Amherst College,
1832-1834. He pursued his theological course until 1836 when
he became professor of Latin and Greek Languages and
Literature at Amherst College, 1836-1847, and subsequently of
Greek Language and Literature, 1847-1893. Following this, he
was professor emeritus until his death in 1897.

Tyler was an ordained preacher and throughout his teaching
career delivered many sermons and eulogies. He was also a
prolific author. Among his works are A History of Amherst
College, Memoirs of Henry Lobdell, Prayer for Colleges,
Germania and Agricola of Tacitus, Histories of Tacitus,
Plato's Apology and Crito, Demosthenes de Corona, Philippics
and Olynthiacs of Demosthenes, Plutarch on the Delay of the
Deity, and Theology of Greek Poets.